The San Jose Sharks had luck on their side Tuesday night, as they've won the second overall pick at next months' NHL Draft in Buffalo. General manager Mike Grier was very excited with the news, as the Sharks and the Maple Leafs were the big winners of the night, moving up the draft board in a major way. The Sharks are familiar drafting among the top three in recent years, however, with their roster currently constructed the way it is, and expectations climbing, expect to see Grier listen to an...
The Vancouver Canucks have a big offseason ahead as they continue their rebuild. They are entering the summer with several trade candidates, and Elias Pettersson is one of them. The 27-year-old center needs a change of scenery in a major way. Because of this, let's look at three teams that could look to acquire Pettersson during the offseason. Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers have taken a big step in the right direction this year and are in the second round of the playoffs because of...
The Dallas Stars' playoff run is over, and they have some decisions to make when it comes to their roster. They are entering the summer with multiple pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), and Michael Bunting is among them. If Bunting ends up hitting the free-agent market instead of re-signing with the Stars, he should generate a good amount of interest. Due to this, let's look at three teams that could look to sign Bunting this summer. New York Islanders The Islanders could be a...
The Vancouver Canucks ' thought they found their GM.
David Pagnotta reported recently that the Canucks had internal interest in speaking with Brad Treliving, who was fired as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs in late March with seven games remaining in the regular season.
The conversation never happened.
"I believe the Canucks had internally some interest in talking to former Leafs GM Brad Treliving," Pagnotta said, "but I don't believe that's a spot that he's interested in going."
Trelivi...
After a short playoff run, the Edmonton Oilers should be in for a busy offseason. The Oilers' roster is simply not strong enough right now, and they have multiple needs to address during the summer because of it. One specific area that the Oilers must improve this offseason is their goaltending. Tristan Jarry has not lived up to expectations since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins, while Connor Ingram is a better fit as a backup. Thus, it would be shocking if the Oilers don't try to ...
The Edmonton Oilers went to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025.
This year they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in six games.
The fallout from that result has been significant, and the question of whether Kris Knoblauch will coach the Oilers next season is now very much open.
GM Stan Bowman addressed the media Saturday morning at Rogers Place for a 30-plus-minute exit interview and declined to guarantee his coach's future in any meaningful way.
"When you don't have success, I th...
In a stunning stroke of luck, the Toronto Maple Leafs have won the NHL's Draft Lottery, and the right to select the likely choice as the No. 1 pick, Gavin McKenna in next month's Draft. They came in with the 5th-best odds of winning it. The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the draft lottery and will have the 1st overall pick in the 2026 Draft pic.twitter.com/ibGSK97eh9 — Nasty Knuckles (@NastyKnuckles) May 5, 2026 Just one day after officially being introduced as the new senior executi...
Toronto Maple Leafs fans have had a chaotic week, and it's only Tuesday. The team hired John Chayka as general manager and brought back Mats Sundin in a role of "Senior Executive Advisor, Hockey Operations", which many construe as guardrails for the front office. In other concerning news, there are questions regarding Auston Matthews' future with the Maple Leafs after his statement on locker cleanout day. "I mean, I can't predict the future," he said Thursday during the team...
When Kyle Dubas took over the Pittsburgh Penguins, he knew there were going to be some really tough decisions with some long-standing veterans, and his toughest decision yet is apparently coming this week. There's rumors floating around that Malkin's reps and Dubas are meeting this week, and word is, Dubas is going to inform his camp that the team will be looking to move off of Malkin this summer, and head down a different direction. Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust has reportedly vouched for Malk...
Darnell Nurse could be asked for a list of teams this summer. Multiple reports have surfaced stating the Edmonton Oilers are going to be making drastic roster changes this summer, and Nurse has been the focal point of conversations. The veteran defenceman has not lived up to his contract, and with Connor McDavid's future hanging in the balance, the time is now for the Oilers to make some significant changes. Nurse, 31, is signed through the 2030 season at a whopping $9.2 million AAV. He owns a...
The Tampa Bay Lightning were once again bounced in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and now general manager Julien BriseBois will be a very busy man this offseason. Multiple reports have surfaced that BriseBois tried to make some roster changes ahead of the trade deadline in March, but wasn't able to find a fit. Heading into the summer, look for BriseBois to make a move to add some talent down the middle of the ice for the Lightning. Elliotte Friedman: Re Lightning: I heard...there...
The Ottawa Senators have gotten some offseason business done, locking up one of their pending restricted free agents, Stephen Halliday, to a two-year extension. HALLY'S BACK FOR MORE 🚨 The #Senators have signed F Stephen Halliday to a two year, $1.075M AAV extension through 2027-28! Halliday, 23, spent majority of this season in Ottawa - where he had 4 goals and 7 assists in 30 GP. #GoSensGo #FreeAgency #Spartacast pic.twitter.com/U0iYUSbM7P — Spartacast (@Spartacast1) May 5, 2026 ...
Auston Matthews does have two years to run on his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. But we all know in professional sports these days, if a star player isn't happy, they find their way out of town, one way or another. With everyone around Toronto trying to make sense of the team's new front office hirings, Matthews is no different. And according to insider Chris Johnston, writing in The Athletic , the team's captain "isn't sure" yet if he'll be back in Blue & White next season. ...
One of the priorities for the Winnipeg Jets this offseason is to bolster the blueline. To that end, Murat Ates in The Athletic has listed five potentially realistic offseason targets for the Jets to shoot for. Let's break it up in terms of unrestricted free agency vs. the RFA/trade route. UFAs Logan Stanley After dealing the big d-man away at the trade deadline, Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said he was open to bringing the six-year veteran back as a free agent. “When we ...
The Vancouver Canucks are taking their time in naming a new general manager, having reached out to a wide variety of eclectic possible candidates. We're hearing on Tuesday that they've whittled the search down now to five finalists, with two names among that list being Pierre Dorion and current AGM Ryan Johnson. Update: the Canucks have narrowed their GM search down to five good candidates. Dorion is one but would be wrong to characterize him in any way as a front-runner. Ryan John...
Elliotte Friedman made a bold prediction on the 32 Thoughts podcast this week.
"I have two predictions about the Minnesota Wild and their players," Friedman said. "Prediction number one: Quinn Hughes signs a three-year extension. It's just my prediction. Three years. He goes three years."
Friedman made the prediction it in the immediate aftermath of Minnesota eliminating the Dallas Stars in six games, a series in which Hughes was as good as any defenseman in the playoffs, scoring two goals...
Corey Perry is entering the summer as a pending unrestricted free agent. If the 40-year-old forward hits the free-agent market this summer instead of re-signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning or retiring, he should generate interest. Due to this, let's look at three teams that could look to sign Perry during the offseason. Edmonton Oilers The Oilers missed Perry this season, and it would not be particularly surprising if they tried to bring him back during the summer. If they signed ...
After a terrible finish to the 2025-26 season, the Detroit Red Wings extended their playoff drought to 10 years. With this, the Red Wings should be looking to make some upgrades to their roster during the offseason. One of their biggest needs is another top-six center, specifically for their second-line spot. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck stands out as a prime potential target for the Red Wings. The Red Wings were heavily ...
After a career year in 2025-26, Bobby McMann is setting himself up to land a big payday this offseason. If he ends up not re-signing with the Seattle Kraken, he will have a lot of interest as a free agent. Due to this, let's look at three teams that could look to sign McMann this offseason. Chicago Blackhawks The Blackhawks desperately need to add more scoring to their top six if they hope to be more competitive next season. When noting that McMann just put together a 29-goal season, it ...
The Boston Bruins held exit meetings Sunday at Warrior Ice Arena, and the conversation around their defense corps was not a comfortable one.
Boston was eliminated in six games by the Buffalo Sabres, a result that exposed a defensive unit that struggled all season and then collapsed when the stakes were highest.
The Bruins allowed 4.0 expected all-situations goals per 60 minutes against Buffalo, per Natural Stat Trick, the second-worst mark in the first round behind only the Ottawa Senators...
After a monster season that saw him record 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh is set to land him a big payday this offseason. Due to this, let's look at three teams that could look to sign Raddysh if the Bolts do not re-sign him. Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs need another right-shot defenseman, so it would not be surprising if they looked to add Raddysh in free agency. He has already been connected to the Leafs in the past and wo...
Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk is one of the top trade candidates to watch this offseason. Because of this, let's take a look at three teams that could look to acquire DeBrusk during the summer. Los Angeles Kings The Kings could be a team to watch when it comes to DeBrusk this offseason. It is clear that they need to add another scorer to the middle six, and bringing in a veteran forward like DeBrusk would provide them with just that. New Jersey Devils One...
Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman is a prime trade candidate to watch this offseason. With the Flames rebuilding, it would not be surprising to see him on the move. Due to this, let's look at three potential landing spots for Coleman. Ottawa Senators The Senators could be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to Coleman this offseason. There is no question that they could use more secondary offensive production and grit in their top nine, so it would make sense for them t...
It was a disappointing finish to the season for the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team many pundits around the sport predicted to come out of the Eastern Conference. Instead, a frustrating 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of the first round (despite outshooting them 29-9) has left many questions facing the Bolts as they head into the offseason. Perhaps one question we didn't see coming, though, comes to us from insider Pierre LeBrun , who asks in The Athletic, if the Hart Trophy con...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have now entered the John Chayka/Mats Sundin era. What a time to be alive in Leafs Nation. The management duo was introduced at a press conference in Toronto on Monday, and it's obvious there's been a lot of pushback from opposing teams around the league over hiring Chayka back into a GM position, and for Sundin, it's certainly a huge risk to his legacy as a Leaf. Heading into the offseason, there's going to be significant change coming to the Maple Leafs roster, which ...